The Melting Shortcut You Need For Homemade Caramel Apples

Sure, you could make caramel apples the hard way: standing over a hot stove, closely watching a pot of boiling sugar as it transforms into molten liquid, keeping tabs on a candy thermometer as the mixture slowly caramelizes. Also, making sure to get it the exact right color — not too dark — before carefully pouring in heavy cream, lest you scald yourself with the steam from the bubbling pot. Done? Not quite. It's time to heat that mixture once more, further caramelizing, before you can let it slightly cool, transfer it to a separate bowl, and dip some apples in it. As we've learned, some autumnal candy-making experiments are a bit more trouble than they're worth.

Luckily, with caramel apples, there's a much easier way: Just buy some caramel candies and melt them down. Then dip apples in them. No special thermometers required, no particular expertise in the magic arts of candy making. If this feels like cheating, consider the following: This is actually how the very first caramel apples were made, at least according to one oft-repeated legend — which tells of a Kraft Foods employee who, in the 1950s, was faced with an excess of caramel candies after Halloween, then decided to melt them into a dip for apples. So, really, you're not taking a shortcut here — you're just dipping into history. Here's how.

First, procure the ingredients: One regular-sized package of caramels, somewhere between 10 and 14 ounces, will coat four to six apples. You can use whatever apples you like — here's a guide to some of our faves — though picking ones on the small side will make eating a bit more manageable. After unwrapping the candies, dump them into a small, microwave-safe bowl along with 2 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream. If you want to doctor it up further, add a tiny splash or vanilla extract — or, if these treats are for adults, bourbon or rum. A pinch of salt never hurt a caramel sauce, either. Melt in the microwave or, alternately, in a double boiler on the stove; in either case, stir the mixture frequently until it's fully liquid and uniform.

Your apples should be dry before you get started, and it helps if they're cold — that way, the warm caramel will start to set immediately on contact — so put them in the refrigerator beforehand. Line a plate or sheet pan with parchment paper, then spray the parchment with cooking oil. Insert craft sticks into the bottoms of the cold apples, dip them in the warm caramel to coat, and then immediately sprinkle with any additional treats you may desire, like chopped nuts, coconut flakes, or crushed cookies. Transfer the apples to the lined plate and chill in the fridge until they're set, about an hour.